As we enter the new year, we are rapidly approaching a new season of Rebel baseball. With that, we are nearing the end of the preview series. So far, we have covered the catcher positions, shortstop, infield, and outfield. Now, we will discuss the Rebels' significant change in the coaching department.
At the culmination of the 2024 season, Head Coach Mike Bianco knew something had to change after the second straight year of missing the NCAA tournament. He decided to do something he hadn't done in his tenure at Ole Miss: to embrace the now dominant trend of having a pitching coach on staff. Bianco will relinquish all pitching decisions going forward, a potentially massive change to the program.
This past summer, Joel Mangrum was named Pitching Coach for the Ole Miss Rebels. Mangrum is joining Ole Miss from the pro ranks, having spent the last six years with the Clevland Guardians, most of which as the Minor League Pitching Coordinator. In that role, he was essentially responsible for the development of all pitching prospects in the organization, including former Rebels Doug Nikhazy and Dylan Delucia.
Mangrum also has considerable experience coaching in college, having spent time at Austin Peay, Texas A&M, New Mexico State, and ULM. During his time as a college pitching coach and recruiting director, he signed and coached several big league arms, including Tyler Rogers and Kyle Bradish. Beyond that, Mangrum is a Mississippi native, having graduated from Northwest Rankin High School and played college ball at Mississippi College.
Mangrum checks about every box you can ask for when looking for this hire. He has pro experience, considerable experience in the college ranks, including success at another SEC program and as a pitching coach, and substantial ties to the state of Mississippi. Now, let's talk about why I think this hire and change within the program can have such a significant impact on winning games.
First and foremost, the amount of data in baseball compared to when Bianco first started is vastly different, especially at the collegiate level. The data used for pitching changes and development is so detailed nowadays that it really requires a specialist to handle that department.
Bianco has done an excellent job recruiting and developing pitching talent during his tenure at Ole Miss. But I wonder if the shifts in the game of baseball are starting to catch up to him. Look at the last 3 top high school pitching prospects we have gotten to campus: Derek Diamond, JT Quinn, and Grayson Saunier.
Diamond never really developed into anything more than a serviceable Sunday guy. Quinn and Saunier showed up oozing with talent but are off to new programs after two disappointing seasons. In both of their cases, it is other SEC programs, which means other coaches see the potential. The overall quality of the bullpen is decreasing, especially over the last two seasons.
I think Mangrum will be able to get the most out of all the guys. We are already seeing positive reports of the work being done with Hunter Elliot as Ole Miss looks to have a true ace at the top rotation once again. Incoming freshman Cade Townsend is the most talented pitcher to make it to campus in a while. I also expect Mangrum to be able to develop and add quality depth to the bullpen.
The second problem that has plagued Bianco for far too long is pitcher management. He has a knack for leaving the pitcher in one batter too long. Hindsight is always 20/20 in those situations, but there are numerous examples where everyone in the stadium knew it was time for a change, but yet it didn’t happen.
A coach with the pedigree and experience of Mangrum will be able to right the ship in a lot of these instances, and having just one coach fully manage the pitching decision and workload over a season is a change that has been needed at Ole Miss for years and one the can pay major dividends in the win column.
We will finish our preview series by examining the revamped and improved pitching staff regarding the starting rotation and the bullpen. Then, we will focus on previewing the open weekend in Arlington, which is now just 34 days away.